Andrew Miller |
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Company
"G", 377th Infantry Regiment |
Soldier of the 95th Infantry
Division who received the Medal of Honor (the most highest
citation of the US Army) for
performing a series of heroic deeds from 16 to 29 November
1944, during his company's relentless drive from Woippy,
France, through Metz to Kerprich Hemmersdorf, Germany.
As
he led a rifle squad on 16 November at Woippy, a crossfire
from enemy machineguns pinned down his unit. Ordering his
men to remain under cover, he went forward alone, entered
a building housing 1 of the guns and forced SS Germans to
surrender at bayonet point. He then took the second gun
single-handedly by hurling grenades into the enemy
position, killing 2, wounding 3 more, and taking 2
additional prisoners. At the outskirts of Metz the next
day, when his platoon, confused by heavy explosions and
the withdrawal of friendly tanks, retired, he fearlessly
remained behind armed with an automatic rifle and
exchanged bursts with a German machinegun until he
silenced the enemy weapon. His quick action in covering
his comrades gave the platoon time to regroup and carry on
the fight.
On 19 November S/Sgt. Miller led an attack on large enemy
barracks. Covered by his squad, he crawled to a barracks
window, climbed in and captured 6 riflemen occupying the
room. His men, and then the entire company, followed
through the window, scoured the building, and took 75
prisoners. S/Sgt. Miller volunteered, with 3 comrades, to
capture Gestapo officers who were preventing the surrender
of German troops in another building. He ran a gauntlet of
machinegun fire and was lifted through a window. Inside,
he found himself covered by a machine pistol, but he
persuaded the 4 Gestapo agents confronting him to
surrender. Early the next morning, when strong hostile
forces punished his company with heavy fire, S/Sgt. Miller
assumed the task of destroying a well-placed machinegun.
He was knocked down by a rifle grenade as he climbed an
open stairway in a house, but pressed on with a bazooka to
find an advantageous spot from which to launch his rocket.
He discovered that he could fire only from the roof, a
position where he would draw tremendous enemy fire. Facing
the risk, he moved into the open, coolly took aim and
scored a direct hit on the hostile emplacement, wreaking
such havoc that the enemy troops became completely
demoralized and began surrendering by the score. The
following day, in Metz, he captured 12 more prisoners and
silenced an enemy machinegun after volunteering for a
hazardous mission in advance of his company's position.
On 20 November, as Company G climbed a hill overlooking
Kerprich Hemmersdorf, enemy fire pinned the unit to the
ground. S/Sgt. Miller, on his own initiative, pressed
ahead with his squad past the company's leading element to
meet the surprise resistance. His men stood up and
advanced deliberately, firing as they went. Inspired by
S/Sgt. Miller's leadership, the platoon followed, and then
another platoon arose and grimly closed with the Germans.
The enemy action was smothered, but at the cost of S/Sgt.
Miller's life. His tenacious devotion to the attack, his
gallant choice to expose himself to enemy action rather
than endanger his men, his limitless bravery, assured the
success of Company G.
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Above
: Medals awarded to S/SGT Andrew Miller after
his death. From left to right, Army Good Conduct
Medal, Medal of Honor and Purple Heart. |
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